Princess Playing Pauper
by pinkpearl89
Summary: Katara reflects on the two titles that Zuko has given her. One-shot, implied Zutara


Hello everyone!

This is my very first Avatar fanfic, so please don't burn me at the stake if you feel that the characters are OOC. This little viggie popped into my head a few weeks ago, and so I finally decided to post it. It's basically a little adventure into Katara's thoughts, set post-series.

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. I just love them :D**

I hope you enjoy!

xxxx

Peasant.

That epithet always bothered her.

She knew it shouldn't, knew that it was merely a nickname given to make her feel inferior. And she knew that they _needed_ to make her feel inferior, precisely because she _wasn't_. She was a master bender, something that neither the prince nor princess of the Fire Nation could boast.

And besides, she _was_ a princess.

No one ever acknowledged it, that was true, but she was. As granddaughter of the Matriarch of the Southern Water Tribe, and daughter of its chief, she was a princess.

Of course, the point was moot. There were no such things as luxuries in the current state of the southern water tribe. Meat was hard to come by, running water was merely an aspiration, and fresh fruit was a myth. They were lucky that they ate and that their roofs didn't leak in too many places.

So, naturally, the idea of being a princess was set aside as frivolous and promptly forgotten.

But it was still her heritage. She was Katara, princess and last remaining water bender of the Southern Water Tribe.

Although she sometimes thought that they had forgone hailing her as princess so that they would be spared the dread of acknowledging Sokka as their prince.

She couldn't blame them for that one. Her brother was a strong man with a good heart, but he was an idiot. And idiots should not be running nations.

Not that it mattered. In the Southern Water Tribe, the women were in charge. Her grandmother was the matriarch, all decisions made went back to her judgment, even those made by the chief. They were designed that way, balancing the northern tribe through opposition. So really, the townsfolk needn't have worried about Sokka at all.

No, the true reason that she was never treated with the reverence due her title was that she had never insisted on it. She had never had the chance to care. Being princess in the south brought all of the responsibilities and none of the reward. And so, as a small child living in the harsh wonder of snow, she had forgotten all about it.

Until the day that it became a matter of utmost importance.

It was Fire Nation law that the royal family could not marry below their station. All blood within the family tree was noble, and compromises were not made. When Katara had traveled with and expected to marry the Avatar, she hadn't concerned herself with abiding by Fire Nation law. Much less this particular one.

Of course, things change.

Because she now expected to marry Zuko, who loved his nation dearly and was intent on restoring it to its traditional splendor. Part of that splendor, he had told her, was upholding some of the older traditions.

It was antiquated and had been used as a form of oppression in the past century, they both knew that. But, as Zuko so helpfully pointed out, concessions have to be made in politics, they wanted to get married, and she _was_ a princess. Why fuss when it was unnecessary?

So it was that Katara was now known as princess in all the nations she travelled, rather than Katara or Master or, spirits forbid, _peasant_. Although she wasn't offended by her new title, she found no pride in it. Being called peasant was meant to be derogatory, but it was descriptive of the basic life she had lived before becoming engaged to Zuko. Being called master was complimentary, but she had earned the title through determination and hard work. Being called Katara was natural, it simply described her existence.

Being called princess was almost an accident.

Zuko sensed this, she could tell. He had never been one to express affection in an overt way, but he had been finely attuned to her moods from the very beginning. And he had seemed to take it upon himself to turn her new title into an expression of pride.

For this, she was grateful.

Especially as she knew that the title had followed her through the harsh winds and snows of the poles, the lush and tangled woods of the earth kingdom, and the oppressive heat of the fire nation.

She could not shake it, but he had helped her make peace with it.

At the very least, he had stopped calling her peasant.

xxxx

Review?


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